


i'm going home (back to the place where i belong)

by carolstark



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Family, Homophobia, Use of slur words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-25 04:38:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14969276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolstark/pseuds/carolstark
Summary: Being with Nicole is undoubtedly the best decision she’s ever made. Nicole loves her, treats her right, and gets on well with her sister, but sometimes it's hard. Purgatory is not the ideal place for an openly gay couple, and with her family being publicly shunned even before that, things were not easy on Waverly. She hates to complain, because she really is as happy as she’s ever been, and she knows she’s lucky, lucky that the only complaint Wynonna ever has about her relationship is that they’re too disgustingly cute, she’s lucky that she has an incredible support system, but some words really cut deep.orPurgatory isn't the best place for openly gay couples like Nicole and Waverly





	i'm going home (back to the place where i belong)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, its me back again with another fic! i wrote this because it was upsetting me that in canon they never deal with the issue of homophobia in Purgatory, as it is totally not a non-issue like they write it to be?? so i wrote this to idk fix that issue. That being said, obviously a trigger warning for homophobia and the use of slurs, specifically qu**r, so please don't read if thats the sort of thing that triggers you! anyways, enjoy, and please comment and kudos. 
> 
> the title is from home by daughtry, and i don't own that song, nor do i own wynonna earp.

Being with Nicole is undoubtedly the best decision she’s ever made. Nicole loves her, treats her right, and gets on well with her sister, but sometimes it's hard. Purgatory is not the ideal place for an openly gay couple, and with her family being publicly shunned even before that, things were not easy on Waverly. She hates to complain, because she really is as happy as she’s ever been, and she knows she’s lucky, lucky that the only complaint Wynonna ever has about her relationship is that they’re too disgustingly cute, she’s lucky that she has an incredible support system, but some words really cut deep.

After Doc had become the owner of the bar, Waverly began picking up shifts, just to regain some semblance of her old life, and a lot of it happens there. An old friend, someone who barely talked to her in high school, but knew her through her position as head cheerleader, or through the fact that her boyfriend had won junior rodeo that year, would sit down at the bar and give her a look. At first, the look was foreign to her, but as these interactions increased, she began to realize what was coming. “So, Waverly,” they’d almost always start, and she’d heave a sigh, and lean against the bar.

“Yes?” she’d say, in an attempt to pacify the individual before they continued, but it rarely worked.

Then they’d take a sip of their drink, and look up at her, and say something along the lines of, “So I’ve heard you’re gay now.” 

Or, “So you’re dating that Officer Haught?”

And sometimes they were filled with far more anger, and far more hateful words, but they always reeked of disdain and shame, yet another Earp gone bad. Who would’ve guessed it? Waverly Earp, nicest person in Purgatory, a gay.

She remembers the bite on Willa’s tongue when she interrupted Nicole and her kissing, and she remembers the absolute scorn in Champ’s eyes in the moment before Nicole punched him. Waverly remembers the wild hatred Tucker embraced when she told him Nicole was her girlfriend, and she remembered holding the redhead as she sobbed, recalling the story of how her parents had just kicked her out with no remorse. Waverly Earp has spent her life being the town pariah, but nothing quite cuts like this.

One night though, she remembers it being particularly bad. Waverly and Doc were working the bar, Nicole’s was on patrol, and Dolls, Wynonna, and Jeremy were crowded around a table off to the side, nursing whiskey, and in Jeremy’s case, an orange flavoured cooler. The bar stools were filled with some of Purgatory’s older men, which guaranteed a session of “polite” sexism and inappropriate flirtation, but it wasn’t that bad till certain someone entered the bar.

An outfitted Nicole Haught sauntered directly from the door to the bar, standing in front of Waverly, smooth and sexy flirtation, flowing off of her in waves, just like the first time they met. All Waverly wanted to do is reach up and kiss her. “Baby, can I get a cappuccino, please?” she said, and the brunette just smiles and nods.

Waverly had made Doc start carrying all the necessary ingredients for cappuccinos as soon as he got ownership of the bar just for Nicole, and for the posterity of their first moment together. Finishing the drink fairly quickly, she handed it to Nicole, grabbing at her girlfriend’s free hand and not letting go. Nicole gave her a look, smiling cheekily as she sips at the coffee, and Waverly squeezed her hand. “I know you said not in uniform but don’t you think we could kiss, just this once?” Waverly teased, her voice low.

Nicole smirked at her, and said, “Yeah. Just this once though,” 

And she pressed her lips to Waverly’s without ever thinking for a moment about the consequences. She was just a girl who wanted to kiss her girlfriend, thought it would be okay, surrounded by her friends, but no, of course, because they’re both girls it wouldn’t be. “Fucking queers,” is loudly dropped underneath a gruff cough, and Waverly shudders away from Nicole immediately, busying herself with the bar. 

“Excuse me, sir?” Nicole said, her voice full of hesitant caution.

“You heard what I said officer, I don’t want to see that in public,” he sneered, standing up to his full height, just slightly taller than the red-headed cop herself. 

Nicole looked absolutely shell-shocked, backing up towards the wall, and Wynonna, who didn’t appear to be watching, whipped her head around to see the conversation. Nicole’s jaw continually opened and closed for a moment, and it drives the older Earp sister more than a little mad. No one should be allowed to render Nicole Haught speechless. Wynonna stood from her spot, dropping her drink dramatically in front of Jeremy and practically skipped across the room. “Let me guess buddy, you only want to see that in porn,” she said, stepping up in front of him, and shielding Nicole.

The man instantly began to sputter, and Wynonna started to laugh. “That’s what I thought. Doc?”

Doc smiled from the bar. “Gentleman? You’re no longer welcome here. Please exit the premises,” he said, polite as ever, but his words full of threat.

The men leave, without more than a few muttered words of protest, and finally, Waverly feels like she can breathe again. “Doc?” she asked.

“Waverly, go home,” he said, his voice as soft as she’d ever heard it, a complete contrast to the daggers in his earlier words.

Waverly nodded, leaving the bar, and almost collapsing into Nicole’s arms. Nicole tightens around her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leading her out of the bar, murmuring thanks as she goes. She settled Waverly into the passenger side of her car, incredibly thankful her shift is over, and drove them both back to her home. 

Waverly shifted quickly out of the seat, seemingly regaining her energy, and almost runs to the door. Nicole followed briskly, not quite sure what had gotten into her girlfriend. Waverly stands on the porch as the redhead approaches, and the look on her face is absolute pain. Nicole hates it more than anything she’s ever hated. 

She stood for a moment, just staring at Waverly, beautiful, wonderful, pure, never-should-be-hurt-like-this Waverly, and just sighs, before unlocking the door, and letting the two of them in. The brunette proceeds to wander right up the stairs and into Nicole’s bedroom, shutting the door before her girlfriend can even shuck her shoes. Nicole couldn’t believe what had just happened. She’d been through worse than that, and yet, in the moment she had frozen. Her parents had kicked her out, her brother had spit out slurs meters away from her face and she had just fired back a line about how he could judge, considering his life choices, all the while keeping her cool, and yet, one older man says a word she’s heard more times than she can count and she’s rendered useless? She hadn’t the faintest idea what had happened to her, until it hit her square in the eyes.

It was Waverly. Nicole had moved cross country to escape the homophobia her parents had beaten into her, and Purgatory was supposed to be her haven. This situation was supposed to be better. She came here to find a home, and she sure as hell found it, and there was no way her home should be ridiculed like it had been. Waverly didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve the harsh words and the stinging glares, just because she was in love. That was what made this different. They targeted Nicole because of her relation to Waverly, and that was not okay. Never would be. 

Nicole bounced up the stairs, and into the room just as Waverly was climbing under the covers. “Baby?” Nicole said, feeling sort of awkward standing in her bedroom, still in uniform

Waverly looked up to her, and Nicole’s heart broke at the sad look in her soft hazel eyes. “Yeah?” she answered, and just the tone of voice sounded tired.

Nicole shuffled about, changing into her pyjamas before responding. “I’m really sorry Waves,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“For what, baby?” 

“All of that, me, not standing up for you, it happening at all,” And Nicole could hear how exasperated she sounded.

“Oh, Nicole, c’mere,” Waverly said, her hands pulling up the other side of the duvet and beckoning for her to come close.

Nicole climbed in, settling under the soft and warm blankets before turning to face Waverly and wrap her in her arms. “Baby, it’s not your fault,” Waverly whispered into her shoulder, “don’t ever think that it is. That man was awful and terrible and it’s okay if you were too shocked to do anything, it was a hard situation.”

Nicole nodded, but she still couldn’t help feeling like absolute shit. “It’s just so fucking shitty, Waves, we don’t deserve this, and I should’ve been able to protect you!”

“I know, baby, but sometimes things don’t work out like you want them too. That’s why we have Wynonna,”

Nicole laughed a bit, and Waverly smiled at her. “And thank god we do, that absolute dork,” the redhead said.

Waverly nodded, pressing a kiss to Nicole’s shoulder. “She’s here for us, that’s what family’s for,” she said, and Nicole can hear the sleep beginning to fade into her voice.

“You’re right, I guess we can figure it out together, as a family.” 

And for the first time since the Haughts had disowned their daughter, Nicole felt like she had a family, like she had a home, and even with the shitty people in the town they lived in, together they could make it better.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked this, please comment and kudos. As always, im available to be contacted on twitter (@varunsjeremy) and tumblr, faithiehane, if you wanna chat or leave a prompt or something :)


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